Can anybody help me with a turtle cheesecake recipe? It's on our banquet menu from before I worked there and I really don't like the recipe we have. I don't have alot of flavored cheesecake recipes - I prefer the basic variety.

Thank you! R.

By d. on Tuesday, January 25, 2000 - 04:21 pm: Edit

Does the "turtle" mean that choc. caramel pecan concoction?

By W.DeBord on Tuesday, January 25, 2000 - 04:42 pm: Edit

Sure, I have it on my menu next week. I make two different "Turtle" cheesecakes: one is a chocolate cheesecake with a carmel pecan layer baked into the cake on top of the crust, the other is a butterscotch/carmel flavor cheesecake with chocolate, toffee and carmel on top after the cake is baked.

Tell me what you perfer and I'll post it.

By d. on Wednesday, January 26, 2000 - 11:23 am: Edit

Can you possibly swirl thick caramel sauce and chocolate pieces into a plain batter? But I have to tell you W.'s descriptions sound awfully good! Wouldn't mind trying out either.

By Ramodeo (Ramodeo) on Wednesday, January 26, 2000 - 02:18 pm: Edit

W. - They both sound great! Since I first posted I have gotten a recipe from a friend for one like your first one mentioned above, but it calls for caramel squares, which I normally don't keep in stock. I know I could make them myself, but this dessert isn't priced high enough to warrant that kind of extra step. So, I'd love to see the recipe for the second one, Thanks!

d., The one we do now swirls choc. and caramel sauce into plain batter wit pecans on top. No matter how I do it, I have trouble with cracking occuring where ever the sauce is. Plus, it just doesn't remind me at all of the candy.

By W.DeBord on Wednesday, January 26, 2000 - 07:22 pm: Edit

The recipe for the second one is at work tonight I'll have to post it for you tommarrow...Sorry.

I bet the choclate based one I mention is exactly the recipe offered to you by your friend. It's from a philly brand cream cheese book and has those purchased kraft carmels.

The first recipe I mentioned is from a Debbie Fields' book, incase you have that book and need it right away. By the way she has some good recipes.

I've never had any luck swirling sauces into batter with-out changing the sauce. If you incorporate some batter into sauce you have a better chance of it working. Like a marbled cheesecake instead of using choc. use thick carmel, add pecans.

By Ramodeo (Ramodeo) on Wednesday, January 26, 2000 - 07:48 pm: Edit

I tried incorporationg some batter into the sauces. I put in as batter as I could without losing the flavor of the sauces and it still cracked. I really need to just start fresh with a new recipe, I think. I have a real bad attitude towards the old one! :-) Thank you in advance for your contribution to my mental health!

By Panini (Panini) on Thursday, January 27, 2000 - 09:39 pm: Edit

try cooking the nuts in the caramel,prime with batter then swirl. I also use chunked choco.and a chocolate crust. I have had a hard time getting the turtle taste but it is my best seller.

By W.DeBord on Thursday, January 27, 2000 - 09:40 pm: Edit

Butterscotch Cheesecake: from Debbie Fields
12 oz. butterscotch chips
1/4 c. heavy cream
16 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. lt. br. sugar
4 eggs
1 c. sour cream
2 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. vanilla

By W.DeBord on Thursday, January 27, 2000 - 09:56 pm: Edit

Use a 9" pan. Melt chips with cream over double boiler. Mix cream cheese and add ingred. as you always would. 325 oven for 1 hour, turn oven off leave cake in oven (door closed) for 1 more hour. I've always had perfect results with this baking time & method from her. It's a REALLY solid recipe, I can make it in full sheet pans (changing baking time of course) etc... never a problem.

For the crust I use graham crackers but you could use choc if you like.

Topping the cheesecake is what makes it most turtlelike. I use chopped candy bars (heath and turtles taste great, also snickers are fun) drizzle with ganache and camel sauce. On plate I add more carmel sauce and toasted pecans. Of course you could dress it up with carmelized pecans and a fancier chocolate garnish.

By W.DeBord on Thursday, January 27, 2000 - 09:57 pm: Edit

Use a 9" pan. Melt chips with cream over double boiler. Mix cream cheese and add ingred. as you always would. 325 oven for 1 hour, turn oven off leave cake in oven (door closed) for 1 more hour. I've always had perfect results with this baking time & method from her. It's a REALLY solid recipe, I can make it in full sheet pans (changing baking time of course) etc... never a problem.

For the crust I use graham crackers but you could use choc if you like.

Topping the cheesecake is what makes it most turtlelike. I use chopped candy bars (heath and turtles taste great, also snickers are fun) drizzle with ganache and camel sauce. On plate I add more carmel sauce and toasted pecans. You could dress it up with carmelized pecans and a fancier chocolate garnish.

By W.DeBord on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 08:15 am: Edit

Last night was a nightmare on line, everytime I wrote something I got kicked off line. Sorry my recipe is hard to follow.

Forgot to say, I always spray the pan for easy release. If I use this recipe in a sheet pan I line it with foil, it works great.

You could add choc. chunks or nuts to this batter if you like that idea. It would work fine sub.ing out the butterscotch chips and using white choc. chips if you prefer that. There is nothing delicate about this recipe it's very stable and I never had it crack.

By Panini (Panini) on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 08:59 am: Edit

W.DeBord
The most important part!! heath bars! i also use these they taste great.
What type of oven are you using? Do you line the sheet with foil and up the sides to? Do you use a collar? I have not produced in sheets but i would like to.I think a triangle might have more appeal in a retail setting. What do you think?
panini

By W.DeBord on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 09:06 pm: Edit

Sometimes I get brickle bits at the grocery store in place of heath bars to save a penny.

I line the whole sheet pan, sides too.

I don't understand what you mean using a collar in this application?

Don't know how they would sell but people may not see it as "not as sinful" as eating a huge slice?. The triangle cut takes more skill to keep clean lines?? You could dip the sides in chocolate to maintain edges.

I do sheet pans of cheesecakes all the time for mini pastry trays when I need volume with little effort. Bake them in convection oven, 350 degrees, aprox. 20 min. .

By Panini (Panini) on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 09:45 pm: Edit

I actually meant to say diamonds, and yes, have thought about dipping sides. not only to maintain edges but also to increase3 shelf life a little.
Do you ever make them the as deep as reg. cheese cake? Do you bake them in deep sheet pans and do you use a waterbath? I call sheet pan extenders collars.Do you use these?
I'll pick up some brickle bits and try them.
thanks
panini

By W.DeBord on Friday, January 28, 2000 - 10:00 pm: Edit

I'm not familar with deep sheet pans or extender collars, sorry. So...no I don't use them at all. Could you explain to me what a extender is?

I put a pan of water in the bottom of my reg. oven when baking reg. cheesecakes but do nothing when baking in the convection oven.

I personally like cheesecake in bit size bars. I try to watch my eating habits, also whole slice gets to me around the third bite.

By Ramodeo (Ramodeo) on Saturday, January 29, 2000 - 04:43 pm: Edit

I bake cheesecake in sheet pans frequently. I do a shallow one - regular thickness crust with about 3/8" filling on top, baked at 325. It gets a little brown sometimes, but that's ok. This type gets cut into tiny triangles for finger dessert buffets.

I also have done a thicker version for lg banquets that want a plated cheesecake dessert. I use foil to make extenders cuz we don't have the real kind, so I get a max depth of about 1-1/2" total. I cut it into triangles resembling a slice from a round, but with a little bigger surface area to make the right size portion. I can get 66 from sheet that way. I bake these at 325 and turn it down if it's browning too much.

Can you describe how dipping the sides in choc. works? You just dip the cut sides? I'm having a brain cramp, I just can't picture it! :-)

BTW, thanks for all the hints. I'll try your recipe next time I have to make it!

By W.DeBord on Saturday, January 29, 2000 - 05:51 pm: Edit

Dipping only works if you cover you finger marks in top. Your holding it in the middle top and bottom of object, so it spins in your hand as you go to the next side.
Dip in choc. wipe off extra with spatula. You kind of spin it in one hand and wipe off extra with spatula in other hand.

By d. on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 12:08 pm: Edit

I also use sheet pan extenders when making 1/2 sheet and full sheet cheesecakes. Do you guys really bake them at 350? I've always had a problem with that. Bake mine like all the other cheesecakes, 250 with a pan of water atbottom od oven. For mini ones I make them in miniature muffin cups, just line with paper, 1 t. of crust and fill to top with chesecake batter. Bakes in about 15 mim.
I'm sick, oh so sick with the flu --- I'm so glad don't have to go work tom. So while my head is pounding i apologize for my bad spelling and grammar.

By W.DeBord on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 08:17 pm: Edit

Sorry to hear your sick, it's pretty bad this year. Pump the fluids and rest. Hey there is some kind of shot I heard of that can shorten the time your sick.
Mini cheesecakes I don't put crust in bottom, it's a pain unless they are cupcake size. I think it depends on your particular oven for the right temp. Your way is "safe", I better knock on wood but so far 350 not a problem. 325 would probably be best, but I don't put h2o in bottom either. Could also be the recipes chosen.

Hey I'm not with it, what is a sheet pan extender?

By d. on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 10:30 pm: Edit

A sheet pan extender is also sometimes called a frame. It's usually made out of 4 strips of aluminum or fiberglass joined at the corners forming a rectangular frame(1/2 sheet or full sheet size). You place this inside the sheetpan when you want to bake sponges and cakes with greater height.

Do you use any kind of starch in your cheesecake recipes?

By pam on Sunday, January 30, 2000 - 11:48 pm: Edit

i do have some cheesecake recipes with alittle flour. i'm not sure how much of a difference it makes, it's like 1tbl per cake or i've also done some with cornstarch. it's supposed to stabilze the moisture content.

By W.DeBord on Monday, January 31, 2000 - 07:32 am: Edit

Ditto. I do find a little cornstarch or flour seems to make a more solid/non cracking cake. I also like cakes with more than 3 eggs and I REALLY LIKE ones adding melted CHOCOLATE of some type. I can't tell you exactly why I think they work better but it seems that way to me.

By Panini (Panini) on Monday, January 31, 2000 - 07:58 pm: Edit

I dip just as W.DeBord, this seems to be the fastest way. Sometimes for volumn I will invert two sheets of the same product, two sheet of parch. between. cut diamonds, dip two at a time and seperate.